The Thinnest Positions on the Vikings’ Roster
The Minnesota Vikings are just a few weeks away from kicking off their regular season with a Monday Night Football matchup against the Chicago Bears.
Over the past few months, the Vikings have been building a roster that has very few holes in it around first-year starting QB J.J. McCarthy. However, there are a couple positions that may be an injury away from being in a serious hole.
Here is a look at the thinnest positions on the Vikings roster.
Center
The Vikings currently have Ryan Kelly as a starter at the center position, which is a big upgrade over Garrett Bradbury. So, what’s the issue? Well, Kelly has a long injury history, and over his nine NFL seasons, he has played in every game just three times.
If the trend were to continue and Kelly misses any time this season, the Vikings will have to rely on Michael Jurgens, who was selected in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Jurgens played in just three games during his rookie season with all appearances coming on special teams.
Luckily, Jurgens has collegiate playing experience both at center and guard, so he is a versatile player who, in theory, can fill in the position. Regardless, though, Vikings fans will be nervous if a young center is snapping the ball to a young quarterback in J.J. McCarthy.
Wide Receiver
The Vikings don’t have Justin Jefferson fully practicing because of a lingering hamstring injury, and the team just lost Rondale Moore for the season due to a serious knee injury. Seeing as Jordan Addison is also suspended for the first three games of the regular season, Minnesota could need some help at the wide receiver position.
As of now, assuming Jefferson is healthy enough to suit up in Week 1, Jalen Nailor would be the WR2 on the depth chart, and one of Tai Felton or Lucky Jackson likely land at WR3. Neither of those WR3 options have caught a regular season NFL pass. Felton is a rookie third-round pick, and Jackson has spent the entirety of his NFL career on the practice squad.
In fact, the most experienced receiver behind Nailor is Tim Jones, who has spent the past three seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars after signing as an undrafted free agent out of Southern Miss. He has never totaled 100 receiving yards in a season.
Punt Returner
Moore’s injury also impacts Minnesota’s depth at punt returner. The veteran was on track to be the starter at the position, and during his career, Moore has recorded 22 punt returns for 182 yards.
Now, Lucky Jackson and Silas Bolden could be in a serious battle for the position. Jackson is listed as the starter at the position despite never having returned a single punt throughout his collegiate or NFL careers. Meanwhile, Bolden was an electric return man during college, but his small stature could limit his effectiveness on offense.
Overall, this has been a position that the Vikings have struggled at for multiple years. The Vikings’ average of 6.8 yards per punt return last year ranked 32nd in the NFL. Their 7.8 yards per return in 2023 ranked 27th. They need to find a solution this year.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference.
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